


keep it sweet in your memory

by roseweasley394



Series: Moments Like These [23]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aurors, F/M, Heavy Angst, Journalist! Rose Weasley, Lies, Missing Persons, One of My Favorites, Scorpius Gets A Cat, World Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:14:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25318924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roseweasley394/pseuds/roseweasley394
Summary: Rose gets an opportunity that has the potential to change everything. Will it be worth the risk?
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Rose Weasley
Series: Moments Like These [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1780003
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	1. Tired Eyes are the Death of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpius realizes that Rose has been keeping something from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suggest giving my recently posted work, 'all too well', a read if you're wanting to understand Rose's internal conflict in this chapter. I'm hoping to have the other chapters up sooner rather than later, but bookmark to be reminded! Things are most certianly about to get hectic in Estonia. XOXO

* * *

When Scorpius sent her a letter asking her if instead of going out to dinner, they could just order in, she didn’t question it in the slightest. They were both exhausted and if she was being honest, a night in front of the TV sounded much more appealing than getting all dressed up to eat mediocre food at a snobby restaurant. As usual, she got home before him seeing as he’d been working a tad bit later to make up for the time he’d taken off for the wedding. She called and ordered their takeaway and cast a warming charm over it while pouring herself a glass of wine. The minutes ticked by as she sat on the couch flipping through the article she’d just finished for work. A little over an hour later he still hadn’t come home and she was starting to worry.

Right as she’d begun writing to him, the door clicked open and she heard him put down his bag and kick off his shoes. He walked into the room and she looked up from her papers smiling.

“Someone’s home late,” she commented as he strode over to where she was sitting.

“Busy day,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. She surprised him by deepening the kiss, locking her arms around his neck, and coaxing him down next to her. They continued on that way, his mouth moving down her neck, her eyes rolled back into her head blissfully, until his stomach growled and they pulled apart.

“Dinner’s on the counter,” she said laughing.

He disentangled himself from her while shooting her that signature smirk of his, grabbing his wand and flicking it lazily, levitating his dinner towards him.

“So, how was your day?” she questioned, eyeing him over the brim of her glass.

“Quite interesting, actually,” he said, between bites of chicken masala. “I talked to Harry.”

His eyes were beautiful, something she never failed to notice and it took everything in her not to crawl on top of him and snog the living daylights out of him again. But she couldn’t, not then at least because he deserved to be able to get through a sentence without her jumping him.

“Was it about a case? He’s always so busy and I know the two of you always have something or other to talk about,” she questioned while propping her legs up on his lap.

“No, it was about you actually,” he said, frowning slightly.

“Oh," she said surprised. "Does he want to come ‘round for dinner? I’ve been meaning to invite everyone over to thank them for their help with the wedding." She was oblivious to the anxious tapping of his foot. For being such a smart person, her mind was working awfully slowly.

“No,” he said, tone steady. “Actually he mentioned a certain job he’d offered you in Estonia.”

Her heart seemed to stop in her chest. The playful energy that they had just shared was gone and for some reason that she couldn’t quite explain, she felt a horrifying mix of fear and embarrassment.

“Oh,” she said quietly.

“Were you ever planning on mentioning it to me?” he asked, and he didn’t sound accusatory, just hurt.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal,” she shrugged, hating that she was lying to him.

“Of course it’s a big deal, Rose. This is huge! And even if it wasn’t I still don't understand why you wouldn’t at least mention it to me,” he said, and the distress in his voice making her eyes sting.

“I didn’t mention it to you because the job didn’t interest me. I never even really considered it,” she said dismissively.

“For some reason, I don’t believe that,” he said looking intently at her.

She hated lying to him, partly because she told him everything, but mostly because it was so against what they had promised each other so recently. It has been a month since the wedding. Getting married to Scorpius was quite possibly the best decision Rose had ever made. Their wedding had been the best day of her entire life. All of their close friends and family, which amounted to quite a few people, sat before them as they pledged themselves to one another. It was a beautiful ceremony and in true Weasley fashion, an enormous party followed that involved everyone they loved and tremendous amounts of alcohol. After the wedding, they spent one week in Greece enjoying the beaches Rose had visited as a child on holiday with her mothers’ parents. They spent the majority of their time laughing and splashing in the water, something that proved to be Scorpius’s favorite pastime. They came home exhausted, very sunburnt, but most importantly, in love.

They were earth-shatteringly happy. But with that being said, Rose was also scared. Their engagement had come about during a fairly rocky time for them. It wasn’t unusual for the pair to fight; she was a Weasley and he was a Malfoy which practically made them destined to argue. But then they broke up, consequently shattering both of them. They had prioritized their careers before each other, leading to a devastating reality that their relationship was broken.

For 5 weeks they were apart. Though the time was short, it seemed to last forever. They learned how difficult it was to function without the other by their side and they decided that with a great deal of work, they could salvage their relationship. They settled on a longer engagement, lasting around two years. In that time they had worked harder than ever to relearn one another. Having gotten together at such a young age, they had never considered the maturity needed to keep their relationship afloat. And by the time the wedding came around, things felt good. They both knew that marriage wouldn’t provide automatic security in their relationship. They would have to work on it constantly, but they loved each other, and that was always enough to salvage things at the end of the day.

So, when her Uncle Harry approached her and asked her to spend approximately three months alongside the aurors as a journalist in their upcoming raid in Estonia, Rose told him no. There was no doubt in her mind that it would be a career-altering opportunity. The aurors only came across cases so large every few years and limited writers were selected to accompany each mission. Her dream had always been to write at the Ministry level and this job would most certainly put her there. She had always viewed writing for the Prophet as a temporary job, picturing herself in the Wizengamot, keeping track of serious ministry cases, and eventually publishing some of her own work to make her mark on the world. But still, she told Harry no.

Because as much as she would have loved to have taken part in such an incredible opportunity, she loved Scorpius more. He had already given up so much for her, for their relationship. After their separation, he took an extended leave of absence from his job at St. Mungo's. She had been shocked but he had insisted that his being home was a necessity in rebuilding their relationship, both romantically and friendship wise. And now that they’d been married just a few weeks, she knew that she needed to turn down the job to help further their growth. It wasn’t that their relationship couldn’t handle the strain of being apart for so long, she just couldn’t bear to inflict such a thing on him after he had done so much for her.

That being said, she knew what Scorpius would have said if she'd brought it up to him. He would have, of course, told her to take the job. He was the most selfless person in the world and she loved him for it. But she couldn’t possibly tear them apart after they’d put so much work into being together again.

Her uncle had been disappointed when she told him no, as she knew he would be. He informed her that the process for selecting writers was very prestigious and that her selection was an honor. And she appreciated that, but she loved Scorpius and that mattered more than anything else. She’d made her decision with no hesitation. It was simple, which was why she hadn’t felt the need to tell anyone.

But by not telling him about the job, she had been lying by omission and they had decided that from their separation onwards, their relationship would be built on honesty. Truthfully, she hadn’t even considered that he would ever find out. But, she had told her uncle no without any explanation, even when he’d prodded her. She should have guessed that he would mention it to Scorpius. She had acted suspiciously and of course, Harry would ask him if she was okay.

She was torn out of such deep thought when Scorpius sighed heavily at her lack of response.

“I want you to tell me the truth, Rose. This could be a gigantic boost to your career and it’s so unlike you to pass on something so exciting. But, there’s obviously something holding you back, and when you’re ready, you can tell me what it is.”

She looked down at her hands unable to further her lie. He gathered the rest of his food and stood up silently.

“Where are you going?” Rose asked quickly.

“To bed,” he said shortly. “I’ve had an incredibly long day and I really don’t want to argue with you right now.”

She could hear him entering the kitchen. The sound of his dishes being placed in the sink echoed along with that of his footsteps going up the stairs. The emptiness of the room seemed to swallow her whole. She knew that she needed to come clean. It would be incredibly embarrassing to admit to him the real reason she had told her uncle no because that would mean confessing that she still had fears about their relationship. They were married, she was supposed to be past all of her worries. But she owed him the truth.

She got up and climbed the stairs in a daze, her heart beating rapidly. She walked into their bedroom right as he was taking off his shirt and it took everything in her power to stand and stare. But he seemed to have heard her come in and she snapped out of it, clearing her throat weakly.

“I’m about to shower. Are you heading to bed already?” he asked over his shoulder, already heading into their bathroom.

“I didn’t take the job because I’m scared,” she blurted out.

He stopped and turned around sighing. “You know that Harry would never put you in any sort of danger.”

“I’m not scared of getting hurt. At least not physically,” she said looking down at her feet. He stayed quiet, waiting for her response. “It’s stupid, really,” she muttered.

He crossed the room and took her face in his hands, his frustration with her melting away in seconds. “Rose, nothing you’re feeling could ever be stupid.”

The tenderness in which he spoke caused all of the feelings she’d been harboring, the fear and embarrassment, to rise to the surface and there was nothing she could do to stop her eyes from watering.

She took a deep shuddering breath. “I’m just scared that it’s going to happen again.”

“What?” he asked, looking utterly bewildered.

“ _It!_ ” She said, pulling away wildly. “I can’t bear losing you again. We promised to never put our work before each other again, Scorpius. We promised! And I would never do anything to jeopardize us."

What she was alluding to seemed to settle over him heavily.

“Rose, are you really telling me that you didn’t take the job because you’re scared we’ll forget about each other again?”

She could tell that the thought alone pained him, but she nodded weakly anyways.

“I'm never going to let that happen again, you needn't worry about that,” he replied fiercely. “This job could change everything for you and I wouldn’t dream of being the thing that holds you back.”

“But you aren’t holding me back!” she insisted stubbornly. “It was completely my decision and I would make it again!”

He sighed and placed a hand on the smaller of her back, guiding her to sit on the edge of their bed with him. Rose was stubborn and he loved her for it. He loved her even more for her total selflessness in putting him and their relationship before herself. But she had to take this job. It would mean everything. She would get to leave the Prophet, a place that even after years and years of reform would never be an all together ethical establishment. She would spend months in the field witnessing things she’d only ever read about. It would be incredible, and he knew that she wanted to do it just as much as he did. She just needed to admit it.

“Rose,” he said gently. “If I got an offer from Mungo's that had the potential to change my entire career, would you want me to take it?”

She closed her eyes tightly but nodded nonetheless

“Exactly. You can’t turn this down, love. It’s too important! And it's only three months. We'll write to each other. I’ll tell you every minute of my day every day until you get bored of me!”

“You’re right,” she sniffled. But he could tell that something was still bothering her and he squeezed her hand, urging her on gently.

“It’s just that I’ve never been away from you for that long. Not since I met you at least,” she said quietly.

It was embarrassing. She shouldn’t be so dependent on him. But she was and she couldn’t find it in her to care because it was true. Ever since they started Hogwarts, they’d spent their summers together as well as every waking moment at school. After they’d graduated they’d moved in together immediately, never going more than a week or so without being in each other’s company. Aside from their brief separation, they'd been at each other's side for over a decade.

“It’s just a couple of months. Other people do it all the time,” he said lightly, ignoring the pain that shot through him at the thought of not seeing her for so long. She was right, they’d never gone that long without each other before.

“But we’re not other people.”

He sighed. “Rose, do you want to do this? Because if you don’t then I'll never mention it again, I promise. But if you do, don’t turn it down because you’re scared. You have nothing to worry about here because I’m not going anywhere. Ever,” he said firmly.

“I do want it,” she said quietly.

“So you’ll do it? You’ll go?” he asked quickly, trying to mask his excitement.

She leaned over and pressed her lips to his, answering his question without even having to speak. He pulled her against his chest, the warmth of his skin radiating through her thin sweater. She was always overwhelmed by how much she wanted him.

“It might be kind of fun you know,” she murmured against his skin.

“Hmm?” he supplied lazily, hands rubbing circles along her back.

“Just think of how long I won’t get to see you and think of how nice it’ll be when I get home. We’ll have so much lost time to make up for,” she offered while smirking, her hand traveling slowly up his back to thread her fingers through the silky hairs on the nape of his neck.

He groaned softly at her ministrations and his grip on her waist tightened, his hands slowly making their descent down her sides, settling firmly on her hips.

“Maybe I'd better take that shower,” he whispered lowly. “But I might need some help with the hard to reach spots,” he said scooping her up in his arms.

She threw back her head laughing, feeling so much lighter now that she’d spoken to him about the thing that had been plaguing her for weeks. She was going to do it. She was going to visit her uncle and beg him to let her rescind her previous answer. And of course, he would tell her, yes, and then she would be off to Estonia. It would be the scariest thing she’d ever done, and she would miss Scorpius like mad, but she was ready for it. Because if her parents had taught her anything, it was that the scariest things in life were always the most rewarding.


	2. I Couldn't Want You Any More

* * *

_14 September 2029_

Scorpius,

I can’t believe that I’m here! Estonia is beautiful. At least what I’ve seen of it is, and that hasn’t been very much. I can’t technically tell you where I’m at, but it’s outdoors and very remote, not to mention cold. I can hardly wait to be home and have a proper bed again. And you of course. It’s lonely sleeping by myself, but the other journalist here with me is sweet. Her name is Shauna. Apparently her fathers helped in the war effort. I think you’d like her.

Anyways, enough about me. How are you? How’s work? I know I told Lily that she could stop by if she needed anything, but don’t bother turning her away if it’s too much. I know that she can be a lot, but you know how breakups go, especially with her.

Uncle Harry just popped in my tent and told me that I’m needed, so I’d better leave you now. Tell everyone I say hello. And don’t just eat take out! You know Nana will cook you whatever you want.

  
All my love,  
Rosie

_19 September 2029_

Rose,

Don’t worry, Nana Molly has brought over meals practically every other day. I keep telling her that I’ll be alright but she won’t hear of it. Lily has been fine too. She and Al come ‘round every few days as well, probably more for my sake than for Lily’s. I think they’re expecting me to wither away without you here. It’s amusing, but I honestly just might. I miss you, but I’m so happy that you’re having such a nice time. Promise that you’ll stay safe though, yeah? I trust Harry, but you have an issue with staying away from trouble. I need you back home to me in one piece. I love you more than you know.

  
Love,  
Scorpius

_25 September 2029_

Scor,

You’d hardly believe the things I’m seeing. I’m still not allowed to write about them just in case there's interference with the letters, but you’d be amazed. The healers here are incredible as well. Some of the things they’re doing makes me appreciate you that much more. Of course, I still think you’re the best there is. If only you could’ve come as well. It’s horrendous, really the types of things going on here. It makes me understand why having proper journalists and documentation is so important to Uncle Harry. The world needs to hear about this.

I miss you. So much. It’s a little bit pathetic. Shauna keeps telling me so at least. It’s strange not being able to tell you about every little thing. I could write pages and pages, but this poor owl is having to travel far enough as it is. Make sure to let him rest before you send him back. And go into Hogsmeade and buy some treats, would you? I can hardly believe I’ve almost been here a full month. If you promise me that you’ll keep taking care of yourself, I promise that I’ll stay out of trouble.

I love you,  
Rosie

_30 September 2029_

Rose!

I fucking miss you. I’m so glad to hear that you’re doing well though and I’m sure you’ll tell me all the details of what’s going on once you’re home. It’s so lonely without you here. Al still comes over quite a bit. I keep telling him it’s unnecessary but I think he sees right through me. The company is nice though so I think I’ll keep him around.

I had dinner with your parents last night. They’re doing great, as to be expected. Your mum was telling me about the new legislation she’s pushing through. Apparently it’s the last step in branding Wolfsbane as a Ministry provided amenity, as it should be. She’s so excited though and I know that you’re just so proud. I am too. The Granger-Weasley women are total bad arses, not that I’m biased or anything. Miss you more than I can properly say.

PS: Don’t be too mad, but I got a cat. I know, I know. You’re going to tell me I’m a bloody hypocrite, but I needed someone to cuddle! She’s not the prettiest (or the nicest for that matter) but I think it just adds character. You’ll love her I’m sure.

  
I love you so much,  
Scor

_5 October 2029_

Scorpius,

A CAT????? Like, an actual animal? A real cat that’s living and breathing and walking _in our flat_??? What I would do to kiss you right now. How many years have I been begging to get one? And it takes me going to another country for you to finally cave? Ugh, I’m so jealous. I would love to cuddle something, ANYTHING, right now (especially you). I asked Shauna but she ‘apparently’ isn’t the cuddling type. I’m not even sure how that’s possible.

What’s the cat's name???? Please don’t tell me you’ve named her something stupid because if you did I swear we’re never having kids. You _must_ spoil her rotten, Scorpius. I don’t care how much you have to spend. I want the best of everything. Take extra hours at Mungo’s if you must. I want this cat to know that she’s a fucking princess. I’ll write Hugo and tell him to check that she’s doing all right. I just worry that you won’t take this seriously. Not that I don’t trust you of course, I just want you to stay on top of things. Get her on a feeding schedule. I read somewhere that cats like punctuality. She needs structure!!!!

PS: Please tell me more about this piece of legislation. I love it when you talk about social justice. It’s sexy and I miss you.

  
All my love,  
Rose

_9 October 2029_

Rosie,

Me? Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, not taking something seriously? Who do you think I am? I’ll have you know that I’m the best kitten father that’s ever been. Hugo’s already been over tons by the way. I know you said that he loved cats, but I didn’t know it was this serious. He went with me to get her shots done and he actually cried. Well, more like sobbed. It was nice though knowing that she’ll be well taken care of if anything ever happens to one of us.

Oh, I almost forgot. Her name is Ophelia. I thought you’d approve, and I’m being forced to tell you that it was Lily’s idea because she’s the best cousin to have ever walked the Earth. So yeah, Ophelia Weasley-Malfoy, or just Weasley if you’d like. I would be fine with anything. She looks more like a feral wolf than she does a cat, but I’m hoping that she’ll grow into her looks. It doesn’t matter how many times I bathe her, she just keeps getting these matted clumps in her fur. Hopefully, you can help with that. She’s so excited to see you, as am I. One month down, two to go!!!

  
I miss you,  
Scorpius

_11 October 2029_

Rosie,

You’re starting to worry me a bit. It’s been well over a week since you last wrote. I talked to your dad and he told me that you’re probably moving locations or something of that nature, but I can tell that he’s worried too. I just want to know that you’re okay. I know that’s selfish and that you’re under a lot of pressure and probably working tons, but just let me know that you’re alright. 

All my love,

Scorpius

_17 October 2029_

Scorpius, 

Hermione wanted me to let you know that there still hasn't been any contact between Harry's team and the Department of MLE. But you know Hermione; not prone to give up, that one. Bloody grateful for it too. I'll let you know the moment she hears anything. 

Cheers,

Ron Weasley

_22 October 2029_

Rose,

I’m sure that you’re fine and that I'm just making something out of nothing, I just need to know that you’re alright. No one's pretending to hide their worry anymore. That's what I've heard at least. I know it's terrible but I haven't been able to bring myself to see any of your family lately. They mean well but they remind me too much of you and then I start to worry and it's just downhill from there. I did get drinks with Al the other night which was nice. I could tell that he wanted to mention you but thought better of it. It’s just been so long since we’ve heard from you, or anybody from the raid for that matter. Please be okay. I need you to be okay.

I love you,

Scorpius

_28 October 2029_

Scorpius,

How about you come and stay with me for a bit? I hate to break it to you, mate, but you looked like shite the other night. Besides, Rose would be after my head if I didn't make sure you were alright. My nana as well. Just bring a toothbrush or something. I'll take the couch.

PS: Do not bring that fucking cat to my home. 

PPS: Never tell anyone I offered, yeah? I don't need James calling me a soppy git. 

Sincerely, 

Albus

_29 October 2029_

Rose,

I’m staying with Albus for now. I just wanted you to know in case you showed up at home for some reason. Not knowing where you are or if you’re alright is killing me. I’m so scared, Rosie. I’ve never been this scared before. I love you so much. So much more than I could ever begin to tell you. Come home to me.

All my love,  
Scorpius

_3 November 2029_

Scorpius,

I know that you are worried about Rose, but you must come to the Burrow this week for lunch! We all miss her terribly, but we miss you too. We're your family now, dear, and it's in trying times that you need your family the most. 

Best Wishes,

Molly Weasely

_8 November 2029_

Rose, 

Please let me know that you're alright. I've never seen your mum like this or even your Aunt Ginny for that matter. She said that in all of her years awaiting Harry's return from a raid, he's never gone this long without writing her. I'm fucking scared, Rosie. No one knows anything. My father has even taken to writing the Estonian muggle law enforcement to try and get information. I just want you to be okay. Please be okay.

Love, 

Scorpius

10 November 2029

Scorpius!

I don't mean to worry you, but I think something might be wrong with Ophelia. Every night I brush out her fur, but it keeps getting tangled! I visited Lily and she thinks the cat is just ugly, disagree. There's beauty in everything! Don't fret dear brother-in-law, I WILL get to the bottom of this! I'm purchasing the best products the world has to offer, and if that doesn't work, I'll be visiting Romania. I know that Uncle Charlie only works with dragons, but that's the closest thing to an animal doctor I can think of. Not need to reimburse for my troubles either; all part of an uncle's love! 

Cheers,

Hugo

_November 12 2029_

Rose,

The only thing that's keeping me from coming straight to Estonia has been your father, but I think even he might join me if we don't get answers soon. I just don't know how to fucking do this. I don't even care if you write me back! I just want you to be okay. I want you to come home and meet this fucking cat because I know that you're going to adore her. She's fine by the way, just in case you were wondering. I want to hear you laugh. I want to hold you. I even want to argue with you, for you to scream and yell at me, and then I want us to talk it out and go to sleep in our bed. I want _you_ , Rose. 

\- Scorpius

_17 November 2029_

Rosie, 

Please be okay. I need you.

I love you,

Scorpius


	3. Trying Hard Not to Act a Fool

* * *

_20 November 2029_

Scorpius,

I would like to start off with an apology. Ron is most certainly going to do me at this time and I’ll hardly blame him for it. I know that not hearing any news on Rose has been unimaginably frightening but if I could have written to you sooner I would have. I want to assure you that Rose is safe. Our base was infiltrated unexpectedly almost two months ago and we were forced to flee. Our unit was divided and we were forced to part ways. I have just managed to reassemble our team. It turns out that Rose, along with a few others, have been hiding out near the Russian - Estonian border. Everyone with her is alright, as is she. She is currently under the care of Estonia’s best healers for a check-up. She’s okay, but they didn’t have nearly enough food or warmth when she was in hiding and so she’s recovering.

  
I am furious with myself and so very sorry. This is the kind of fear that I wished to never inflict upon my children which you know that Rose, and by extension, you, are as good as. The not knowing and what not is enough to break a man and I deeply apologize. I have offered Rose the opportunity to come home immediately, but I have to warn you that she’s never been one to quit once she’s started something. She has yet to give me an answer, but I am sure that you and I both know what it will be.

Best regards,  
Harry Potter

...

Scorpius was shaking. He was seeing fucking stars and could barley hear Albus telling him to calm down over the pounding in his head. Never before had he felt this kind of anger and it was looking as if The Boy Who Lived was about to be no more because Scorpius was going to kill him.

Draco had always raised his son to see how wrong the Malfoy’s had been in the war, that Harry had been on the right side of history. He even went as far as calling Harry a good man. Scorpius had always believed his father. Harry had welcomed him into his home over holiday breaks to stay with Albus, made sure that people in the workforce knew that Scorpius was not unworthy because of his last name, and had stuck up for him against Rose’s dad at the beginning of he and Rose’s relationship. Scorpius liked Harry. He would even go as far as calling them friends.

  
But he had promised. He had promised that Rose would be safe; completely out of harm's way. And for nearly two months, 46 days to be exact, Scorpius had heard absolutely nothing. He had thought her to be dead! His wife, his very best friend, dead because of Harry fucking Potter and his insistence that Rose take this job. He’d hardly slept, hardly eaten, had been forced to stop working because for a month and a fucking half he hadn’t known where his wife was. He had become a mad man, completely obsessed with finding Rose and making sure that she was at least alive. He would’ve done anything to know that she was alive.

“Scorpius,” Albus all but shouted. He was red in the face and it was clear that he’d been calling his name for quite a while. “I think that you need to calm down.”

  
“Calm down?” He bellowed. “I can assure you that this is calm, Albus. As calm as I can be after finding out that my wife was freezing and without food because your dad couldn’t do his fucking job.”

  
“Let’s try and leave my dad out of this, alright?" Albus could deal with a lot of things, but slander against his father was not one of them. It never had been.

  
“Your dad is the one who convinced her to go in the first place!”

  
“No mate, I’m pretty sure that was you,” Al said solemnly. He ran a hand through his unruly hair and took a deep breath. “I know that you’re upset. Trust me when I say that I am too. But there’s nothing we can do right now. She’s still going to be there for a few weeks at least.”

  
“I need to see her,” Scorpius demanded. He looked almost crazed and he sounded so utterly desperate.

  
Al was starting to feel uneasy. It was never easy to rationalize with Scorpius when he got like this. "I'm sorry, but I don’t know how you think that’s going to happen.” 

  
“I just need to see her, Al. Please. Please, mate. You have to help me.”

  
Scorpius was begging now. He looked so helpless and it reminded Al painfully of the boy on the train their first-ever ride to Hogwarts. Here was his best friend, one of the best people he knew, reduced to behaving like a frightened child.

  
“Alright, why don’t we try and take a deep breath, yeah? I can order us dinner and we can try and talk about this rationally. And if you still-”

  
“I thought she was dead!” Scorpius yelled, voice cracking as angry, anguished tears slid down his cheeks. He did nothing to conceal them. He was too tired.

  
“And I’m sorry about that. But this is the opportunity of a lifetime for her. It’s one more month, Scor. You know that she probably feels bad enough about sending you into a tailspin, don’t make her feel like she needs to come home too.”

  
Scorpius stuffed his head in his hands, trying desperately to focus on steadying his breathing. Al said nothing, just crossed the room, patted his back, and left to give him space. Al was right. He knew that. But he had been so scared. He wanted to see her, to feel her, to make sure that she was really alright. But as Al had said, Rose needed to finish what she’d started. He couldn’t be the thing to hold her back.

  
He wiped his face roughly and took a steadying breath. Clumsily, he got to his feet and headed to Al’s guest room where he began to gather his things. He needed to get back to his life.  
Rose was okay. She was safe. And if she could go back to work after something so traumatizing, then he could too. He wrote Hugo to tell him to bring the cat back over. Rose would be furious to know he’d carted off their newest addition to her brother, but he had hardly been able to take care of himself, much less something else. Over the next few days, he fell back into a steady routine. He worked, ate, and played with the cat. It was incredibly boring, but it kept him from worrying too much about Rose.

  
He had just retired to bed when something began to peck against his window. He shot to his feet, racing over to let the owl in only to find that it was from Rose. He held her letter in shaking hands noting the tear stains that dotted the page. His heart twisted painfully. Slowly, he began to read the letters' contents, savoring every word written in her near-perfect scrawl.

_22 November 2029_  
Scorpius,

I don’t even know how to begin this. I love you. I love you so very much and I am so sorry. I don’t want to even try and imagine how scared you must have been. I’ve missed you so much that I feel like I might just implode. I miss your voice and your face and your arms and your laugh and just about anything else that you could think of. I want to come home to you more than anything. I want a bed and a meal from Nana and to see my mum and dad. But I can’t leave now, Scorpius. Not after we’ve all managed to come together again. The people here are vulgar. I just can’t believe that people have such darkness inside of them and would be willing to do such horrendous things! I need Uncle Harry and his team to do what they set off to and I need to be the one to get it all down on paper. It’s historic, the things happening here, and I can hardly believe that I’m witnessing it all.

  
While I was separated from everyone else (sans a few aurors and Shauna) I wrote about everything. I wrote about every waking moment and I think I’ve managed to get some really good stuff. It almost makes all of this worth it. It was so terrible, Scor. I was so cold and so hungry and the days just seemed absolutely endless. And then I would think about you and how terrified you must have been and I couldn’t bear it. I wanted to write to you more than anything, but I couldn’t. Not only did I not have access to an owl, but I didn’t want to give our location away in case we were still being followed.

  
I am so sorry that I’ve put you through this. I know that you might never forgive me for this, and I would understand that. I don’t want you to think I’m putting my career before you either. But I can’t quit. I need to stay and finish what I started.

I love you,  
Rose

_22 November 2029_  
Rose,

You don’t understand how good it is to hear from you. I love you so much and nothing could ever change that. I want you to stay until the mission is finished. Doing anything else just wouldn’t be right. It wouldn’t be you. You are so brave, Rosie and I’ve missed you more than I ever thought possible. I was so scared. So fucking scared. And I probably will be until I can really hold you again. But I’m so proud of you. This is what you’re meant for.

  
Ophelia and I will be here waiting for your return. But until that happens, please for the love Merlin stay safe. I need you to come home to me and if not I might actually kill your uncle. You might think I'm kidding but I can promise you that I’m not. Ask Albus.

  
All my love,  
Scorpius

...

He signed the letter quickly and laughed at his own tears which had fallen upon the parchment messily. He would see her soon, he knew that. Until then, he would just keep going. He had a cat to take care of for Merlin’s sake. He couldn’t just shut down again. And he wouldn't. Because Rose was alive and well and safe and that’s all he needed.


	4. Plant New Seeds in the Melody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I deeply apologize for going so long without an update, this chapter has just proved a bit hard to write. On the bright side, it's 5,000+ words of fluff and angst and all the other good stuff:) I've been so touched by how well you've all received this story. This ended up being a tad longer than I'd originally planned on, but I thought it was important to unpack some of the emotional baggage that comes with genuinely believing your loved one to be dead. 
> 
> I hope that you're all safe and well!! xx

* * *

As far as Scorpius knew, Christmas eve was meant to be quite the day. In years past, he’d enjoyed a lie-in with his girlfriend - now wife - and spent the day putting finishing touches on gifts. Even when he’d been at Hogwarts he’d managed to see Rose, always popping ‘round to the Burrow if only for a few hours.

Not this year though. No. Christmas eve had quite possibly been the worst day of Scorpius’s life and it was all because of his stupid fucking cat. The pathetically matted furball had ‘accidentally’ tripped on the cord of his alarm clock meaning that he hadn’t woken up until almost noon. Unlike years past, he hadn’t been able to enjoy sleeping in because upon opening his eyes and seeing daylight, he realized in a single terrifying moment that he was hours late to work.

His boss had been furious and he’d been forced to sit through a lecture about punctuality. It was truly mind-boggling to him how he could be a senior healer and still get treated like a trainee, but he supposed that that was what happened when one was 6 hours late for their shift.

He spent his day on the fourth floor working with spell damage. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how one chooses to look at it, the day had been painfully slow; his most exciting patient was a woman who’d somehow merged a baby blast-ended skrewt with her left elbow.

As the sky became darker and the clock inched towards midnight, Scorpius resigned himself to working the night shift in hopes of getting back in his boss’s good graces. It’s not like he had much to go home to anyway. Come morning, he’d drink tea in bed with the cat, spend the afternoon with his parents, and the evening with his wife’s family which was sure to be a disheartening occasion seeing as said wife was meant to have been home from Estonia nearly two weeks prior. Two Sundays ago he had spent the entire day tidying their flat and cooking a large meal only to be left waiting well into the morning when he’d received a hurried letter from her saying that it would still be a few days yet.

His initial reaction was frustration; a disappointing sort of anger that sent him apparating straight to Al’s house in the middle of the night. The bespectacled man had of course fixed his friend a cup of tea and listened as he fumed. The sun had already risen before Scorpius tired himself out and his best mate told him to quit being an impatient plonker and allow Rose to continue working guilt-free.

He of course knew that he was being ridiculous, but it had been well over three months since he’d so much as heard Rose’s voice and he was going mad with anticipation.

He was torn from his thoughts at the sound of his colleagues cheering in the next room, yelling a quick ‘Happy Christmas’ to each other as the clock struck midnight. His heart twisted painfully as he imagined Rose sitting in a cave somewhere. Christmas was her favorite holiday and of course, she would be missing it.

He ignored the sense of longing in his chest and busied himself with more paperwork, trying and failing to push thoughts of Rose from his mind. Surely she’d be home before the new year. They could spend the night just the two of them, watching fireworks from the roof of their flat.

He spent the rest of his shift fantasizing about champagne and midnight kisses, feeling plenty pathetic and homesick for the one person that made things feel alright.

***

It had been one hundred and something odd days since Rose had slept in a proper bed. She’d gotten used to cots, uncomfortable folding chairs, even the inside of a tiny cave right on the edge of Russia. The idea of a full nights sleep seemed foreign to her and after a bit of time, her body had adjusted to the lack of rest. Something she refused to adjust to though was the lack of showering. She’d used cleansing charms and jumped into whatever river was nearest when given the chance, but truly, she was quite disgusted with herself. How was she supposed to greet her husband in a few hours time looking and smelling like she’d been living in a sewer? She had half a mind to stop by Al’s and use his shower before flooing to her own home but there was no way that she could see anyone besides Scorpius first. Surely he’d be able to bypass the smell if it meant finally seeing her, right?

She’d grabbed on to her portkey in such a rush of excitement that she’d nearly dropped it. After arriving at the Ministry, she flooed directly to their flat, not even thinking to warn Scorpius of her coming. She was just too eager, too excited to see him and feel him and hear his voice. She stumbled out of the floo coughing up a storm, eyes watering from being twisted through time.

Heart beating madly, she looked around their tiny living room expecting to see white blonde hair and startling grey eyes staring back at her. She hadn’t checked the date but had thought it was a Sunday which typically meant that Scorpius wouldn’t be working. Upon searching every room of their flat, she disappointingly realized that she was very much alone.

Maybe she was wrong and it was actually a Monday. He always pulled the night shift on Mondays. Racing to the calendar that they kept in the kitchen, she tripped over something white and landed on the floor with a groan, finding herself face to face with something that resembled what could be a cat.

“You must be Ophelia,” she said, voice hushed in excitement.

Thoughts of finding Scorpius temporarily ceased as she pulled the white ball of horribly matted fur into her lap, talking and cooing at the thing like it was her own flesh and blood.

“Scorpius was right,” she said aloud with a laugh. “You are a bit ugly.”

At that, the cat wiggled out of her clutches and trotted back to the kitchen, reminding Rose of her previous task. She pulled herself to her feet and walked to the calendar. Looking at it warily, she concluded that her eyes must be deceiving her.

Christmas eve? There was no way; surely Scorpius had marked the date wrong. Turning around, she looked at the clock hanging over their sink and gasped again. It was half-past midnight which meant that she had been right after all. It wasn’t Christmas eve. Even worse.

It was Christmas.

Instantly her heart began to ache. If Scorpius wasn’t home then that must mean that he was working. Working on Christmas? She hadn’t heard of anything so sad. It also meant that she was a lot later arriving home than she’d originally thought. She didn’t even want to imagine how upset he must be.

Slowly, she walked through their flat again and noticed things she hadn’t the first time. A tree had been put up haphazardly in the corner of the sitting room. It wasn’t the prettiest thing she’d ever seen, but her heart swelled at the sight of its trimmings and the shoddily wrapped presents underneath it. Both of their stockings had been hung on the fireplace and her eyes misted over at the sight of a small stocking with a paw print sewn onto it. She recognized the stitching as her nana’s and a pang of longing shot through her. Merlin, she missed her family.

Her eyes lingered on the bit of mistletoe stuck above the door to their room and she sighed, not even bothering to wipe away the tears sliding down her cheeks. The thought of Scorpius doing all of this on his own both thrilled and devastated her. Her chest physically ached with the pain of missing him and she suddenly couldn’t take it anymore.

Gone was the idea of waiting for his arrival. She was going to him. Her hand was already in the pouch of floo powder before she remembered what she looked and smelled like. In a flurry of flailing limbs and dirty clothes Rose made it in and out of the shower in record time; unable to fully enjoy the warm water encasing her due to the fact that her stupid heart was beating too fast.

She quickly toweled herself off and set a drying spell over her hair. Rummaging through what clothes she hadn’t brought with her to Estonia she managed to pull on a pair of joggers and an old flannel of Scorpius’s. Checking the clock she was pleased to see that it was only 1:00. When pulling the night shift Scorpius usually stayed until 6:30 but she figured that this would be a good enough reason for his supervisor to let him leave.

She stumbled out of the floo in an excited rush, looking quickly to either side of the large waiting room of St. Mungos. Of course, he wasn’t in the lobby, why would he be? The receptionist who was smacking her gum rather loudly glanced at Rose in a bored manner as she approached the desk quickly.

“Can I help you?” The young girl asked as she flipped through her copy of Witch Weekly.

“I’m here to see my husband. Do you have any idea where he might be?” Rose asked, choosing to ignore the blatant rudeness of the girl who looked barely out of Hogwarts. Not even some bitchy teenager was going to ruin this night for her.

The girl rolled her eyes petulantly as if being asked to do her job was an inconvenience. “Name?”

“Malfoy,” Rose answered. When the girl just looked at her blankly Rose rolled her eyes. “He’s one of the lead healers here. I just need to know what floor he’s working on today.”

“Oh, you mean Scorpius,” the girl said in a delighted tone that made Rose’s insides twist in disgust. “Yeah, I know him.”

“I’m sure you do. Now could you please just tell me where I can find him?” Rose asked, eyes flashing angrily.

“We’re not supposed to let random people onto the wards, miss,” the girl said with a smirk.

Rose narrowed her eyes at this and straightened her shoulders. “Well,” she began, the venom evident in her voice. “Seeing as I’m his wife, I’m sure you can make an exception. And if not, I’m sure that Scorpius would just love to hear about how his newest hire has caused me so much trouble. Now tell me, do we still have an issue here?”

The girl opened and closed her mouth several times before answering. “He’s on the fourth floor.”

Rose smiled sweetly and turned to walk away. She was almost at the end of the hallway before she turned over her shoulder. “Oh, and I’m fairly sure that you’re to refer to him as Healer Malfoy. I wouldn’t want anyone to hear me make that slip up if I were you.”

The girl’s eyes widened in shock and before she could respond, Rose was gone. Normally she would feel terrible about being so short with a stranger but after nearly four months of not so much as looking at her husband, she felt vindicated.

Her hands were shaking with anticipation as she rode the elevator to the fourth floor. The doors had hardly opened before she slipped through and strode into the main hall, eyes searching eagerly for him. Her heart sank as the hall appeared to be empty. Was she really going to have to go room to room to ask random patients if they’d seen him? She was about to enter the nearest room when a voice called out from behind her.

“Rose?”

She whipped around so fast her ponytail hit her square in the face. Blue eyes wide in disbelief, she took him in the man in front of her. It was clear he hadn’t been sleeping properly. He was much too thin, his lime-green robes looking particularly loose on him, and was well in need of a shave. His normally pristine hair was disheveled and the tiniest bit overgrown and his jaw hung open loosely at the sight of her.

But it was Scorpius, her Scorpius, and he was so wonderfully beautiful that her breath caught at just looking at him: the sharp cut of his jaw, the fullness of his lips, the brightness of his eyes. She tackled him in a flurry of red hair sending him flying backward. His gasp of pain was forgotten, his breath restored as he realized what was happening.

Rose.

Here.

In his arms.

He hardly registered the burning sensation in his eyes as he hugged her tightly, unable to believe that she was really there.

She pulled away from his chest and grasped his face in her hands clumsily, his stubble rough against her palms. She needed to feel him, to comprehend that this was real. Staring into his eyes which were wide and swimming with tears, it was all she could do to not jump him right there and demand that he take his clothes off immediately.

“Happy Christmas, love,” she breathed, smiling so wide that she thought she might burst.

It didn’t matter that they were on the floor of a hospital, that patients had begun sticking their heads out of their rooms to see what all the ruckus was about, that his supervisor had just rounded the corner. Scorpius thought of none of these things as he pressed his lips to hers. He reveled in the weight of her atop his lap, unable to believe that this was truly happening. Rose was here in his arms, kissing him back with a ferocity he’d forgotten she possessed and everything was finally okay.

“Healer Malfoy,” a sharp voice cut in, interrupting their bliss.

Scorpius sighed against her lips and closed his eyes tightly, preparing himself for the lecture he was about to receive.

“Yes sir?” He responded wearily.

To his utter surprise, the older man was grinning. “Go home and don’t come back until after the new year. It looks like the two of you have a bit of catching up to do.”

Rose flushed at this but Scorpius only laughed. Disentangling himself from her, he got to his feet and helped her up.

“You’re right,” Scorpius grinned. “We do. Thank you sir, and have a happy holiday.”

It wasn’t until the older man had nodded and rounded the corner that the pair looked back to each other, immediately bursting into peals of laughter. They sobered quickly though as Scorpius threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed gently.

“I can’t believe that you’re finally here,” he said softly.

Without another word she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in chest. He hugged her back tightly, arms settled firmly around her waist, holding on as if he’d never let go. They stayed like that for a moment, breathing in one another, relishing in the fact that they were home.

But suddenly, Rose remembered her surroundings, that they were still in the middle of St. Mungos amongst sick patients and clinical white walls. She pulled away gently and pulled on the front of his robes, reaching on her toes to bring her lips to his ear.

“I believe you were just ordered by your boss to catch up with me,” she whispered into his neck, smirking as he shivered slightly.

All it took was the brief touch of her lips to spot right underneath his ear for his mind to go somewhere that wasn’t particularly appropriate for work. Grabbing her hand in his he dragged her to his office where they somehow managed to stumble through the floo one at a time.

The second Rose stepped into the living room his arms were around her, her lips moving fervently against his own. It was like he was sixteen again, the feel of her tongue against his enough to make his head spin. She pushed his robes off of his shoulders, fingers nimbly undoing each button all the while attaching her lips to the base of his throat. She never did fail to amaze him.

They seemed to have come to the same consensus that the bedroom was much too far and so they walked backward, only stopping as his knees hit the couch. He sunk into the cushions and she clambered onto his lap, her legs framing his hips.

They looked at each other a bit breathlessly for all of a second before they were on another once again. The pressure of her hips rocking against his own caused them to moan simultaneously. They lost themselves in one another. Her skin flaming underneath his fingertips, chest flushed and heaving, hair surrounding her like a fiery halo. He was quite sure he’d never seen anything so beautiful in his life.

Head buried in the crook of his neck, Rose sighed his name, again and again, overwhelmed with the feel of it on her lips. She adored him, abundantly and completely. If there were words to describe the way she felt, she didn’t know them. He knew though. He felt it in her touch, in her warm breath against the skin on his neck, in the unintelligible string of swears that flew from her lips as he moved inside of her.

After what could have been several sunlit days, the stars faded from her vision and she became aware of her surroundings once again. Scorpius had at some point rolled off of her and had draped an arm around her middle, pulling her back against his chest.

He was falling asleep, she was sure of it. His breathing had evened out and the hand tracing patterns across her freckled shoulder had all but stopped. She knew that she should sleep too, but her mind kept jumping back to the one thing she’d been unable to bring herself to write to him about; the one thought that had been plaguing her since the middle of November.

“Scorpius,” she said quietly, rolling over her shoulder to press her face into the warmth of his chest.

He grunted in response, burying his face in her hair.

“Scorpius,” she tried again. When he didn’t respond she rolled her eyes and realized what needed to be done. Pressing her lips to the base of his throat she began to suck lightly. When he didn’t respond she grazed him with her teeth, tongue jutting out to soothe the spot immediately.

He jolted awake at once, breath catching as she kissed further and further up his neck until her lips were pressed against the shell of his ear. Slowly, he opened his eyes as her ministrations ceased.

“That was a nice way to be woken up,” he smirked lazily. His smile faded though as he noticed the serious expression in her ocean blue eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, bringing a hand up to cup her jaw tenderly.

She closed her eyes and swallowed nervously. “I need to tell you something.”

“Is everything alright?” He asked, slowly brushing a lock of fiery red hair from her shoulder.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the worst. “I want to have a baby.”

“Oh,” he said softly. That wasn’t what he had been expecting her to say at all.

“Not now,” she amended quickly. “I just know that I wasn’t always certain, but I am now. I want us to have a family.”

His heart clutched at this and he was embarrassed to find his eyes watering. “I want that too,” he responded gruffly.

“Yeah?” she asked nervously, already imagining a beautiful baby girl with rosy cheeks and pretty curls settled between them in bed. He seemed to have been thinking of something similar as he captured her lips in his languidly. After a moment, he pulled away, intent on making her understand what he was feeling.

“Rose,” he said earnestly, grey eyes meeting blue. “I want everything with you. You name it and I’m there.”

She didn’t know how he still possessed the ability to make her stomach swarm with butterflies like she was still sixteen, but she felt her ears burn as she looked at him longingly.

“Not that I’m complaining,” he began with a smirk, intertwining their fingers as he spoke. “But what brought this on?”

She shrugged, eyes downcast and cheeks burning. “I’m not sure. I just thought about you so much while I was away and I couldn’t help but think about our future as well.”

When he continued to stare at her pensively instead of responding she swallowed and continued quietly. “I know I’m not necessarily the motherly type, but I think you’d be good enough for the both of us.”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “What? Rose, you would be a fantastic mother.”

“You don’t have to say tha-”

“I’m serious,” he said earnestly. “You’re incredible at everything you set your mind to. Why would this possibly be any different?”

She closed her eyes tightly, embarrassed to feel a burning behind them. When she finally spoke, her voice faltered. “But what if I’m not? What if I’m terrible!”

Scorpius sucked in a sharp breath and his grip on her hand tightened. “Rose, how you think you could ever be anything less than an extraordinary mother is beyond me.”

At her silence, he slid a hand up to cup her jaw gently, lightly forcing her to look at him. “You, Rose, are the most brilliant woman I have ever met. Any child would be lucky to call you their mum. Besides, we can wait as long as you’d like. There’s really no rush.”

Rose swallowed and blinked back her tears. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, I promise.”

The sincerity of his gaze was almost too much for her to handle. Unable to look at him any longer without bursting into tears she pushed her lips to his eagerly. He smiled against her mouth and welcomed her tongue readily. He stroked a hand up her back causing her to shiver and pull away from him breathlessly.

“I’m never leaving like that again.”

This caused him to laugh. “Well, I would hope not, at least not for Albus’s sake. He might actually kill you.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He sucked in a breath, looking uncomfortable. “Let’s just say I didn’t fare well without you here.”

“Really?” She asked in surprise. Scorpius had always been extremely self-sufficient. She’d known that he would miss her but had never considered that his lifestyle would change.

“It’s no matter,” he said easily. “You’re here now.”

She grinned and leaned towards him, capturing his lips in hers. “I am.”

Hours later when they’d managed to get a little bit of sleep and spent the morning with Scorpius’s family, they arrived at the Burrow. Rose’s mother had held her tightly, weeping into her shoulder about how deeply she’d been missed. Her father tried to disguise the wetness in his own eyes but failed miserably as he too pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

The night was the best she’d had in recent memory. She was tossed between family members, all delighted by her and Harry’s safe arrival home. Scorpius never left her side, of course; his hand at the small of her back reminding her that she truly was home at last. It wasn’t until nearly 2:00 in the morning that she began to doze off.

After one too many glasses of her nana’s eggnog Scorpius had led her into the sitting room where she’d collapsed into the cushions of the armchair nearest the fireplace. Scorpius had settled beside her and placed an arm around her middle. Her family had long ago begun to disperse into the many rooms of the Burrow. To her knowledge, she and Scorpius were the only one’s not settled into bed. With her head leaning comfortably against his chest she allowed her eyes to flutter closed, sleep practically calling her name.

“Scorpius,” a voice said somewhere to her left. “I was hoping that we could talk.”

Rose felt her husband shift slightly, careful not to jostle her too much. “Is now the best time?” He asked uneasily. “I’d really hate to wake Rose.”

“It’ll be short, I promise,” Harry vowed and she heard him settle into the armchair across from her. “I just wanted to apologize to you once again.”

Scorpius’s chest vibrated with a small, uncomfortable laugh. “Really, there’s no need for that.”

“Oh, but there is,” her uncle insisted. “What I put you through was unacceptable. Albus has filled me in and-”

“Bloody wanker,” Scorpius muttered under his breath.

Harry laughed. “I hate to say it but he gets that from me. Listen, I know that you’ve had a rough couple of months. Ginny has given me enough shit already and I just wanted to give you a proper apology, not some measly excuse sent by owl in the middle of the night. You deserve better than that. You and Rose both.”

“Oh,” Scorpius managed, clearly surprised by her uncle’s speech. “I’m just glad that she’s back. What happened is in the past now. I think it’s best if we all just try and move forward.”

Rose tried to keep her face passive as Scorpius tightened his grip around her waist. She could hear her uncle rise to his feet and she figured that he was running a hand through his greying hair.

“Well alright, only if you’re sure.”

“Of course,” Scorpius assured him. “Just promise that if she ever goes on anything else like this again, you don’t all go MIA. I don’t think I could handle that.”

Harry chuckled lightly. “Trust me, nothing like this is ever going to happen again. Truly, our missions always run much smoother than this. And besides, Ron might actually kill me if it does. If you thought this apology was awkward then you really don’t want to hear what transpired earlier this evening.”

“I can only imagine,” Scorpius mused. “If there’s one thing Ron and I can agree on, it’s Rose.”

“Ah,” her uncle demurred. “I think you’ll find that you can agree on a lot more than that. You’re family now, Scorpius.”

Scorpius shifted uncomfortably. “I know that.”

“Rose is about the best thing to agree on though,” Harry continued. “She’s quite special, that one.”

“She is,” Scorpius said proudly, rubbing circles into her side with his thumb.

“Alright, I’ll be up to bed now. Just make sure you two don’t sleep down here. Molly would have a fit if you don’t take a bed.”

Scorpius bid her uncle goodnight and settled more comfortably in the armchair. Rose waited until Harry’s footsteps had quieted before she opened her eyes.

“So, you think I’m special?”

Scorpius jumped at the sound of her voice. “Jesus.”

“It’s Rose actually,” she said with a smirk that terrifyingly resembled his own.

“I’m sorry if we woke you,” he said lightly, greatly resisting the temptation to roll his eyes at her.

“You didn’t. Now, what’s this about my uncle needing to apologize to you?” She began, shrugging out of his grip so that she could sit up and look at him properly.

This time Scorpius did roll his eyes. “He didn’t need to apologize to me. Not again at least.”

“And why did he apologize to you originally?” She questioned, knowing the answer already but desperate to hear him say it aloud.

“That doesn’t really matter, does it?” Scorpius shrugged noncommittally.

“It does matter. It matters to me,” she insisted earnestly.

“Well, it shouldn’t. As I said, it’s all in the past now anyway.”

“I’d still like to know,” she pressed

“Yeah, and I’d really rather you didn’t,” he snapped.

“Scorpius, there’s no need to be difficult.

“I’m not being difficult.”

“You are. Just tell me what the big deal is and we can move on!”

He sighed, grey eyes catching hers in a chilling stare. “The big deal is that I thought you were dead, Rose.”

They sat in heavy silence for a moment, both contemplating the emotional toll of the last four months. She had figured that that was what this was about and had known that a conversation like this would need to happen eventually. He was undoubtedly frustrated with her and she didn’t blame him in the slightest. After all, she had gone missing. If she had been in his place she would have been beside herself.

“I’m sorry for putting you through that,” Rose spoke at last.

Scorpius shook his head. “You don’t need to be sorry.”

At that, her eyes began to stupid eyes began to water. “It seems as if I do. I fully understand if you resent me.”

She faltered on the last few words and Scorpius softened immediately. “I don’t resent you.”

“Are you sure? Because Harry felt the need to apologize to you on more than one occasion,” she sniffed, blinking back tears.

“Harry did that because he’s a decent bloke,” he said gently, taking her hand in his.

“Clearly you’ve been hurt by this and that’s my fault. I’m the one who left. I’m the one who couldn’t write or let you know that I was alright.”

“Rose,” he said with a smile, cupping her jaw gently with his unoccupied hand. “I’m the one that convinced you to go in the first place, aren’t I?”

At her silence, Scorpius continued. “Your uncle apologized to me because Albus informed him of how poorly I was while you were away; not that it was his fault or yours for that matter. I don’t blame him and I don’t blame you.”

“Do you promise?” She asked, cringing inwardly at how childlike she sounded. 

“I do. Rose, I am so unbelievably proud of you. It was unbearable having you gone, and I didn’t fare as well as I probably should have, but you did things you’ve always dreamed of. I couldn’t stand being the one keeping you away from that. So, I’m glad that you went. I’m even more glad that you’re home though.”

The sincerity in which he spoke caused her eyes to water all over again. With the fire warming her face, his hand tenderly cupping her cheek, and his grey eyes gazing at her heatedly, she couldn’t help but kiss him. 

“I love you so much,” she murmured against his lips. 

He pulled away from her slowly and grinned. “I love you too.”

With that, he took her hand in his and led her up the winding stairs to the burrow to the room they were sharing with Albus and Hugo. Quietly, they clambered onto their cot and fell asleep wrapped up in one another.

There was still much to discuss, baggage to unpack, but it was all right now. She was home, he was whole again, and they could begin moving forward. Babies and houses and careers and all of the big things coming their way were certainly relevant, but if only for the night, the one thing to worry about was them. Rose and Scorpius. They were going to be alright, they’d make sure of it.


End file.
